The Hidden Hero
by Under Cover Wolf Writer
Summary: Sherlock saved John. At the expense of his life to those who were in the dark. Yet the Consulting Detective didn't account for his Blogger's faith in him. John refused to believe his friend was dead. Then Mary came into his life wanting to use him as a cover in exchange for Sherlock's protection. For two years they have been distracting Moran. Sherlock is back and John is lost.


"Mary are you ready for tonight? "

The woman scoffed a smirk playing on her delicate lips," What do you think? Are you ready to have a wife?"

"I'm ready to shave this damn hairy thing off," He muttered straightening his jacket.

"It'll be over soon. You'll be as naked as a baby!," She joked nudging his good shoulder.

He thought about how he wished Sherlock would be there. He had gone and hid from the world all on his own. It was a childish dream to think that he would bring this old body along.

They had always been on cases together. The boys were hardly separated. He loved the way the tall man looked in his mind palace.

A sense of sadness settled deep in his stomach. Those times were over now. He was alone protecting an assassin who in turn was protecting the most precious being on the planet.

John sighed as he turned to his greatest friend," Do you think maybe he could be back yet?"

She put a hand on his cheek. He looked so ragged and tired to her clever eyes. The man wasn't meant to feel this pain," I haven't heard anything from our informants. It'll be soon I'm sure of it. "

"You're right. We've got to worry about our side of things. Moran making a move yet?"

She smiled. Her little soldier ," Not yet. I think he's waiting until the engagement."

"Well let's not make him too bored now. I am going to go in first. Plus you have to do your make up," He teased. He was at the door ready to leave when a pillow hit his face as he turned to bid her goodbye.

"At least us women can make ourselves pretty. If you're an ugly male you're fucked!"

The ex - blogger laughed leaving her to it. He took his time making sure he looked like a man in love. Mary had taught him how to act over the 2 years they'd been 'together'.

It took a lot of patience but he learned well. He never could get the hang of deducing people but he was good at fooling the deducer. Practice made perfect he supposed.

His eyes caught a camera following him on a street light. Mycroft. He gave a fake smile and waved. It was a miracle the British Government had not known about his true life.

To the outside world he was a mourning man about to marry his soul mate. Yet to the inside world ( which was just Mary and some old solider friends) he was a calm collected assassin ready to kill anyone who dared lay a finger on Sherlock Holmes. It was totally opposite and he hated it.

He hated feeling like playing a part in a play. Nothing seemed genuine anymore. The world has lost its luster. It was his fault he knew. He missed the war and he wished it back. He should've known to be careful what he wanted reality.

Before he had realized it he had walked in the restaurant and went to the table he had reserved. John made him self look nervous which was an absolute easy task. When Sherlock had left him all those years ago his PTSD and severe pain disorder had come with a vengeance.

"Can I be of help sir?"

Look nervous. Don't meet anyone's eyes. Glue yourself behind the menu a slight shake to your hands.

"Ummmm yes. I am looking for a bottle of champagne. A good one. "

The waiter smiled trying to get the attention of his customer, " You can't go wrong with these. They're vintages."

Laugh nervously. You will seem out of place. In this situation it's a good thing. More out of place the more special the occasion seems. It's all a show.

"That's not really my area. What do you suggest? "

"Tough choice but I must say the last one is like you say...A face of the past!," The waiter took of his glasses but John's orbs still were glued on the menu.

"Yes great. I would love that thank you. " The ex - blogger wished the man would leave. This was so awkward.

"It is how you say...A suprise"

"Ah yes," He tightly smiled," then suprise me. "

"Yes sir."

Once the man was away he released a sigh. Strangers had made him paranoid. He felt as of he had to shoot anyone who comes to close. You never knew who could be who.

Soon the dinner was underway. It slowly came to a climax as he was about to propose. This was going to take every ounce of his being to be perfect.

He had to be clumsy yet posed. Calm yet jittery. Ready yet unsure. He had to be the John Watson that died 2 years ago. He had to be fake.

He coughed, " Ah, so. Mary. Listen. Um. I know it hasn't been long. And I know we haven't known each other for a long time... "

"Go on," She coaxed innocently.

"Yes, I will. As you know these last couple of years haven't been easy for me. And meeting you... yeah, meeting you has been the best thing that possibly have happened -"

Mary interrupted," I agree."

He internally sighed. She was making this as painful as possible for him. How he couldn't see this coming baffled him.

"What," He asked confused.

She smiled," I agree I'm the best that could've ever happened to you"

A growl threatened to unleash from his throat. Stay calm. Smile as if you find it cute. Hold her hand. Create a deep serious moment

"It's, um... So, if you'll have me, Mary, could you see your way, um... if you'll see your way to-"

"Sir, I think you will find this vintage exceptionally to your liking. It has all the qualities of the old, with some of the color of the new. "

The soldier sucked in a breath. He internally cringed. Don't lose your cool.

"No sorry. Please not now," He said as politely as possible.

"Like a gaze from a crowd of strangers suddenly one is aware of staring into the face of an old friend"

"No look seriously-"

Everything slowed down. The voice. He forced his head to move slowly. His dark orbs meeting Caribbean green. He was here. He had finally come home. Wait. Stop. Think John.

What would the old you do?

Stop. Make a slight oh with your mouth. Now it's hit you. Start shaking. A growl would show him you'reangry. Stand up abruptly fistfists on table. Shallow breaths.

"John? Dear, What is it?," Mary didn't need to fake her shock.

"Well then. Short version. Not dead. Bit mean, springing it on you like that, I know. Could have given you a heart attack, probably still will. In my defense it was very funny. Okay it's not a great defense. "

The ex - blogger wanted to laugh. He wanted to smile and say it's about time. He wanted it to be okay...but that's not what the old John would do.

"Oh no..."

" Oh yes," He said smugly.

She looked a John in suprise," Oh god."

The now alive Detective scoffed," Hardly. "

"You died. You JUMPED off a roof!"

"No"

"You're dead. "

"No, I'm quite sure. I checked. Excuse me," He reached up and wiped off the fake mustache," Does, ah, does yours rub off too?"

Once again John wanted to laugh. He wanted to ease up the atmosphere. That wasn't how the world worked any more.

"Oh my god. Oh my god," She spat in anger," Do you any idea what you've done!"

Once again the famous Sherlock Holmes didn't think about human reactions. Or emotions. Or just life.

"Okay I am suddenly becoming aware I sort of owe you some sort of explanation, " He responded seeing his friends anger.

Mary looked alarm," John just try to keep calm-"

"TWO YEARS,"He tried to compose himself," Two years. I thought... I thought... you were dead. Hm. And you let me grieve. Hm? How could you do that? How?," He glared at him.

Anger. That's how you would've handled this. You were a soldier. You use more blunt force. Tackle. Express anger. Wait until time is right.

"Wait, before you do anything that you might regret, one question. Just let me ask one question. Are you really going to keep that?"

At that perfect moment he launched his body onto the detective. They landed on a table but none of that mattered. All because this was how the old John would've handled it.

"I calculated that there were thirteen possibilities once I'd invited Moriarty onto the roof. I wanted to avoid dying if at all possible. The first scenario involved hurling myself into a parked hospital van filled with body bags. Impossible. The angle was too steep. Secondly, a system of Japanese wrestling-"

"For a genius you are incredibly thick," He grounded out.

Sherlock blinked, " What?"

"I don't care how you faked it! All I want to know is why?"

He explained it as if it was as simple as 1 2 3," Why? Because Moriarty had to be stopped. Oh. Why as in... I see. Yes. Why. That's a little more difficult to explain."

The soldier scoffed," I've got all night."

"That was um more of Mycroft's idea"

He made himself look appaled," Oh so this was Mycroft's plan. "

"Well," Mary began," He would need to have a confidant. "

Sherlock nodded in agreement. John glared at Mary for going on to his side. She was not making this easy.

"Sorry," She looked dejected.

"Was he the only one who knew?"

"A couple of others. It was a very elaborate plan. It had to be. ," He waved it off," The next of the thirteen possibilities-"

"Who esle?! Who else knew?!," He growled.

Slowly build up anger.

"Molly"

John's eyes widened. A pain entered his chest. He couldn't even trust his own flatmate. Was he nothing to him?

He forced his voice to sound rage filled. Mary was looking at him seeing right through the mask she helped him build.

" Molly!"

" John I-" She cautioned.

" Well Molly and my homeless network"

The pain was almost overwhelming. How useless was he? He was just some disposable peice of human flesh. Was he just a replacement for a skull?

"Okay. okay. So just your brother and Molly Hooper and a hundred tramps," His voice was getting weaker. He had to be his old self. Stop letting it show.

" Twenty - five at the most-"

John launched at him again this time for real. All his emotions were leaking through causing it to be more believable. But it didn't help anything.

" You're simply over reacting!"

The short male's mouth went slack," Over-reacting! So you fake your own death and you waltz in here, large as bloody life, but I'm not supposed to have a problem with that, no. Because Sherlock Holmes thinks it's a perfectly okay thing to do! "

" John," Mary tried to calm him down.

" Shut up John! I don't want everyone to know I'm Alive yet!"

Mary rubbed her temples," Oh no"

"London is a dangerous place. We need to keep it safe. "

"We?," He asked. He couldn't help his heart swelling. Maybe he was useful after all. He forced his mask to stay on.

"Admit John you've missed this!"

"Missed what?"

"You have missed this. Admit it. The thrill of the chase. The blood pumping through your veins. Just the two of us against the rest of the world. "

What would the old John do? He assumes you are back on his side. You would've been angry. You hated it when he expects you to come running. Still do. Soldier. Violence. Simple...

John put both hands on his shoulders forcing the taller man down. Swinging his head back for momentum he rocketed it forward. The impact was harsh causing stars to appear on both of the men.

It was Mary's turn now. She let him walk away giving Sherlock a chance to deduce her. If he did it now it would make him feel at ease.

"I don't understand I said I'm sorry! ," He exclaimed holding a cloth to his bloodied nose.

She looked at him as of he were stupid," God you don't know anything about human nature do you?"

The man thought for a moment," Nature? No. Human? Definitely not. "

She smiled while his eyes roamed her body. He would find nothing out of the ordinary,"I'll talk him round don't worry"

He looked confused," Really?"

" Yea," She walked away into the taxi. That went swimmingly.

When they were finally at their safe apartment silence fell. The two had quite a shock. How were they supposed to cope?

" He's...He's really here Mary," John began sitting on the bed slowly as if numb," All this time I thought it would be different. I just wanted to be...me. "

She took on the tedious task of taking of make up," I know dear. Until we kill Moran we have to act like normal-ish people. "

" He's here," He repeated for good measure," He is actually here and he is safe...for now. Oh my god Mary. I never thought this day would come. "

The ex - assassin looked at him smiling," It's not over yet but do you want to hear the good news?"

"Hm," He finally met her devilish face.

" You can finally shave off that worm on your face!" 


End file.
